Cloaked in Red
by Raelin Nariko
Summary: InuYasha seems to notice an unusuall habit he has gotten himslef into InuKag PenName changed!


Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha

"………" Talking

'………' Thoughts

This is just something I thought up after watching episode 123 and thinking to myself about this. Why is it that he uses his haori to protect Kagome when he could do it himself. Also to people who read Ml Ml MI I will be updating before the end of this month I hope. I have exams and projects, my rooms still getting painted and my birthday is in a week Friday so I shall do what I can but until then enjoy this one-shot and I plan on making another but cannot seem to get it started.

Apollo Artemis.

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His golden gaze bore into her red robed back. Not that it was always clad in red no; this was an occasion of frequent proportions. Usually her back was enclosed in thinly made cotton and ebony strands, but tonight she was clad in his.

Earlier that sunrise a snake of enlarged proportions came upon the group of individuals seeking power of a gem. Despite jagged movements from the serpent, his armour of scales was taught and undentable. Only with a sharp tipped twig with a set of pink entrails brought the serpent's power down slightly. Unfortunately it had taken an entire quiver to finally tear flesh and the owner of the bow had dropped down in fatigue. Seeing his companion fall, the noble hero raced over and quickly disposed of her in a safe haven with his scent and cloth enclosing her frame.

Heading back over with his pack the noble hero quickly began to swipe, tearing flesh and bones everywhere. The serpent in one last attempt at a kill slithered towards the maiden clad in red and sank his fangs in her stomach. An eerie gurgle escaped the corpses lips before disintegration happened leaving a gem in its wake.

He had his eyes wide the moment the fangs entered her flesh and he raced to lift the cloths from her belly only to find two small puncture marks like a mouse nip and saw that the healing process was already doing its responsibility. He shuddered at the remembrance of that earlier sunrise he had gotten the aged healer to seek poison from the maiden's system but none was found. So now the maiden slept clad in red regaining lost energy.

InuYasha sighed and leaned his head back against the frame of the hut of the healer Kaede. The instant he saw those fangs in her stomach, fear enveloped him in a cocoon of rancid stench and feeling. Relieved to find the red robe had done it's job InuYasha had relaxed some, opting to stare at the maiden Kagome in exchange for fear. He sighed once more and began to ponder at his frequent actions that had been made without thought towards the young miko of the future.

' Why do I always feel need to wrap her in my essence?' he pondered staring at the fire rat encircling his charge. ' To protect her is my main concern this I know but somehow I can't shake this feeling that I do it in routine just to see her in it.' For indeed the young hanyou prince had discovered long ago his affections for the reincarnation surpassed companion fondness. Thoughts that had once been filled with a woman in miko garb were now filled with images of a woman clad in his cloth, shielding her body and their unborn pup within.

Once he had seen the swell of her belly in his mind the dream was separated from the reality for he knew that image was never to happen. Yet, hard as he try, these images were irreplaceable. Not by another face, nor another cloth. He could not envision such loveliness in the garbs she wore every sunrise.

' Why can I not see anyone but you in my shirt Kagome? Why does your beauty both inner and outer haunt me so? Perhaps I feel as though my only means of claim is through fabric and scent and thus my youkai emerges more frequently now that our journey has almost reached a close'

InuYasha pondered this for many a month now. In this past fortenight alone she had worn his fire rat three times against less than formidable demons. It almost became like an instinct for him to place it on her body whenever a fight occurred. He knew in the end, if she chose the time unlike his own, she would be taking his cloth with her.

' It can protect you like I cannot Kagome.' He then realized. ' That is why I place it on her body. It can protect her in ways I know I can't. It can comfort her, sooth her, show her that no matter where she goes I shall be right inside her. This is her keepsake, a remembrance of me that I shall always protect her physically, and that in times where words are scarce, this cloth will mend heartbreak for her.'

But he still found his questions unfulfilled. Why's and how comes entered his mind like a plague to the flesh. He knew another reason of why his actions proceeded thusly. InuYasha shook his head, no that one would never take place no matter how bad the want and need was. He did not deserve her, nor did he have anything to offer a maiden as desired and as pure as her. He would taint her, this he knew, but becoming human was not an option for her kind heart would never allow such actions of change to commence.

He closed his eyes and remembered back to their other companions merging day. The day was alight with spring blossoms and fruit, smells old and new gathered matching the personas in the crowd to watch the binding of life. Before the important maiden took her step up to the arch, Kagome had stepped out and for a moment all air left his lungs. The air was suddenly cleaner and all other scents were dulled.

Her face shone with a smile that made many swoon for her. She could make any man kiss her feet and respect everything about her lovingly, but her stare was on him and him alone standing up there beside Miroku. Her gorgeous locks were swept up and held by barrettes of butterflies and a wreath of blossoms, the pink splash of petals on the white kimono matched her blush perfectly and her eyes were luminous with joy and wetness.

The day he saw her marching ahead of Sango down that aisle, he knew right then that he would not give her up without loss of limbs or a battle between men. The smile she wore that day, was the smile she wore every sunrise. But in that time it seemed so much brighter and InuYasha realized that he wanted to make smiles like that come to her face. He wanted her to smile like that for him alone, well if it was to their pups it was alright as well.

Immediately snapping out of his thoughts at the word pups InuYasha took in a deep breath. There was no point in trying to convince himself otherwise. He placed the haori on her body to claim her as his property. She was chosen by scent and property, any youkai male who tried to take her was to challenge him and a battle would ensue followed shortly by a chase of the female. So was the youkai law written.

He knew he had to tell her his intentions, but every time the words came to him they fluttered away as a butterfly's wings leaving him to remark some rash comment on her behaviour or performance. His ear twitched at the sound of a small yawn coming from the red robed woman. She stretched and sat up, arching her back and opening those chocolate pools of warmth to lock with his own amber orbs. She looked down seeing the haori.

She smiled at him.

He smiled softly

No words were exchanged. They weren't needed.

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Well there you have it my one-shot. Another will come out at some point and it shall be a lemon incase anyone wants to guess what its going to be about I'll give you three hints

New outfit

Demon blood

Cave

So if anyone wants to guess feel free and I shall dedicate that one-shot to whoever comes the closest so think hard.

Apollo Artemis


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